There once was a time when the Lower East Side was a no-go zone for most people. All that has changed. Today the Lower East Side of Manhattan is brimming with bars, restaurants, cafés, and cultural institutions. And hotels. In the last decade a number of amazing properties have popped up.
View an interactive Google Maps list of these essential New York Lower East Side hotels.
Here are some favorites:
The property that started the Lower East Side hotel boom. While all rooms have floor-to-ceiling rooms, request a room on a high floor for jaw-dropping views of the city skyline. Low-lying beds help create a stylish loft-like vibe. And the in-house restaurant Co-Op serves up playful fare like truffle-topped mac 'n' cheese in an equally fun environment: the walls are bedecked with colorful portraits of celebrities.
2. Sister City
Located on the edge of the Lower East Side on the Bowery, Sister City is the budget-friendly sibling hotel to the perennially hip Ace Hotel. The 200 rooms are on the small side and minimally bedecked. The design team was apparently inspired by Finish saunas and Japanese bento boxes and you can feel it. The rooftop bar Last Light offers killer views and potent cocktails.
From the Dutch chain CitizenM, this Bowery-situated property has a genuine Euro vibe to it (rooms were pre-constructed in Poland). The hip 21-floor, 300-room hotel is the world's tallest modular hotel. Each room comes with a "MoodPad," a tablet in which the guest can control the temperature, watch movies, and do other activities. One word of warning: the rooms are very small – king beds stretch from one side of the room to the other.
4. Hotel Indigo Lower East Side
Located in the northern swath of the Lower East Side near the border with the East Village Hotel Indigo is nicely situated for guests to take advantage of the abundance of restaurants and bars in both neighborhoods. Rooms are bedecked with vintage-but-modern décor and boast blackout shades for the tall windows, a coffeemaker, and plus-sized showers. Head to the rooftop bar, Mr. Purple, for cocktails and fabulous views.
The sleek 141-room property is made up of a tall, dark-glass structure, an architectural juxtaposition from the neighborhood's historic brick and stone tenement buildings. Rooms are stylish, complete with Frette robes, 400 thread-count Sferra sheets, and floor-to-ceiling windows for great views. The in-house eatery, Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya, is one of the best Japanese restaurants in the area.
Opened in Summer 2014, the Ludlow is a 20-floor, 175-room property with a hip, retro vibe. Many rooms boast four-poster beds and feather duvets and the spacious bathrooms have rain showerheads. Dirty French, located on the ground floor, serves up newfangled Gallic fare with exciting flare.
7. Public Hotel
The swanky Public has an all-star roster of contributors brought to you by famed hotelier Ian Schrager and designed by famed Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron with an in-house eatery by lauded Gallic chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The 376 rooms, spread out over 28 floors, have Apple TVs, wireless speakers, complimentary bottled water, and floor-to-ceiling views. The hotel offers daily meditation and yoga classes for guests.
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